A 100-year-old tortoise named Diego is retiring – after fathering enough children to save his entire species. Diego is a giant Galapagos tortoise, a species that had dwindled to just 2 males and 12 females when he was taken into captivity.
Diego, a giant tortoise whose unstoppable libido was credited with saving his species, has finally retired to an uninhabited island off the coast of Ecuador after decades of service in a breeding program. https://t.co/ygijFV3AZ0
— CNN (@CNN) June 16, 2020
Now, after 50 years of breeding, there are more than 2,000 tortoises – nearly 40% of whom were fathered by Diego. This month, Diego was returned to his native island of Espanola to live out the rest of his days.